Kansas City School District Shows Improvement, But Concerns Remain

Kansas City public schools showed improvement in a preview of new Missouri school district ratings, but will not regain provisional accreditation at this time.

Commissioner of Education Chris Nicastro said in a Thursday evening conference call that the district had improved proficiency ratings in science and social studies to on a par with its scores in English language arts and math, but with those only at 30 percent proficiency ratings, 7 out of 10 students were not achieving "at proficiency."

That, she said was a "cause of concern" to the department. However, when asked whether a state takeover was imminent, Nicastro responded that the current board will remain in place.

She emphasized that the state would be working more closely with all its unaccredited districts, and has hired a consultant to look into long-range solutions for Kansas City performance problems. Those suggestions are due in January. Nicastro says they could include proposing a change of governance.

The school district has scheduled a Friday news conference at which district scores will be presented in more detail.